“This shop is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group® and Fruttare, but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia  http://my-disclosur.es/OBsstV” Ah, summer.  To my family, it means long days of playing, finding new adventures and spending tons of time with our extended family.  Our local cousins moved in to a new house with a pool a few months ago so we end up hosting a lot of family gatherings and swimming playdates there.  Mostly the kids don’t want to get out of the water for snacks – which is CRAZY, since when at home, all my kids do is ask for snacks. But you can always entice a kid with a popsicle.  These Fruttare Fruit and Juice Bars have become a favorite of all of us, kids and adults alike.  So on our latest family swim day, I decided to bring out some toppings so everyone could boost their bars.  My mom had been talking up these bars to me for weeks.  She loved that the have a real fruit flavor and that the ones with milk are super creamy and refreshing.  I finally checked them out and was bowled over at how many choices there were for flavors.  I had to get Strawberry and Milk, duh, you ALWAYS have to get strawberry but also grabbed a box of the Black Cherry because I knew my boys would be all over those.   While the kids swam (PHOTO BOMB!)  I got the toppings together to create an easy little DIY bar “bar.”  I had never tried this idea before but it sounded good.  So through some trial and error, each kid picked their favorite bar and jazzed it up with yummy topping options.  NOTE:  On a hot day, these bars melt quick.  It worked best to keep them in the freezer (which is where you can find them at your local grocery store.  I found mine at Ralphs, or Kroger to you non West coasters) and have each kid make theirs one at a time. We tried several ways of adding the toppings.  We tried dipping the bar in water and then adding the toppings to a cup and trying to shake them on the bar.  The water was not needed.  The popsicle, as it warms up, was tacky enough to get the smaller toppings to stick to it. And because I am mess averse, the way I liked best for the kids was to give them a cup with a handful of the toppings that they wanted and then they could just dip the bar in a little at a time. And then we realized that when the bars got smaller, you couldn’t reach the toppings in the tall cup.  So we turned to smaller bowls.  This kid certainly wanted his bar covered… And I’ve never known popsicles to need a plate to be eaten off of but… But the best thing about these bars is that they are really great on their own.  The kids loved the black cherry flavor and I’m glad I demanded a bite of one before they were all gone.  These Fruttare bars were the perfect refreshing treat for this hot summer day. This guy had never had food in the pool before.  You’re welcome, sister-in-law.  I’ve just corrupted your son.  Just wait until he experiences his first swim up bar!  His head might explode.  I know mine did.   This DIY popsicle topping bar was a super fun thing to try out but really the star of the show was the fruit bar itself.  Fruttare has a really fun summer promotion going on right now where you can find a special code on the boxes which can be redeemed for a $4 music reward where you can download music.  See full details on their site.  Codes available through July 31, 2014 and are available while supplies last.  Follow Fruttare on Facebook and Instagram to learn more about this awesome summer treat!

Thank you for supporting the brands that keep Cupcakes and Cutlery running!  I run on summer treats!